Patna/Ara: RJD candidate Sonu Kumar Rai defeated JD(U) nominee Kanhaiya Prasad by more than 350 votes in the Bihar legislative council by-election from the Ara-Buxar local authorities constituency, triggering celebrations among INDIA bloc workers and supporters on Thursday.Sonu, son of former MLC Lal Das Rai, secured 2,507 votes out of 5,335 valid votes polled, while Kanhaiya — son of Sandesh MLA Radha Charan Sah — finished second. Independent candidate Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, a former JD(U) leader, secured 636 votes and was seen by observers as a factor that impacted the NDA candidate’s prospects.Soon after the results were declared at Govt Girls +2 High School in Ara, RJD supporters burst crackers, distributed sweets and smeared gulal on each other. Similar celebrations were held at the RJD state office in Patna.The seat had fallen vacant after Radha Charan Sah was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly.Bhojpur district RJD president Birbal Yadav termed the result a “significant victory” for the INDIA bloc. “Today is the day for great celebration for not only the RJD but also the whole INDIA bloc leaders and workers. We are simply elated over our convincing victory,” he said.The bypoll was held across 25 polling booths in Bhojpur and Buxar districts on Tuesday, with nearly 98% of the 6,086 eligible voters, mostly local body representatives, casting their votes. Of the 5,956 votes polled, 621 were declared invalid.RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav congratulated Sonu and thanked party workers, leaders and voters for the victory, describing the result as a sign of growing public support for the party.Tejashwi also renewed his criticism of electronic voting machines, claiming ballot paper elections ensured greater transparency and public trust in democracy. Referring to previous elections, he alleged the RJD had performed strongly in postal ballots but lost due to “manipulation, machinery, conspiracy and deceit”.With the victory, the RJD’s strength in the Bihar legislative council has risen to 16 members. The result is being viewed as a morale booster for the opposition alliance months after the assembly polls in which the party’s tally dropped sharply.
